Let Me be The One
by SilverRose27
Summary: Ritsu is sad because his cousin died. Takano offers to help, but Ritsu turns to another friend. This friend is also staying in his apartment! That makes for a very jealous Takano! Is this friend trying to help, or trying to steal Ritsu?Rated M Just incase
1. A bad day and a surprise

**Disclaimer! I sadly do not own this masterpiece of anime/manga, they belong to**  
><span>**Nakamura Shungiku****. I only own this story!**

**This is my first story, so please be nice!**

The whole floor of Marukawa that was dedicated to Emerald was like a morgue. But it was to be expected since this was the last day of the 'cycle. What was not expected was the call Ritsu had gotten this morning, right after he'd woken up(and not in his own bed). He shook his head. _I can't think about that now._ He glanced at the clock and noticed it was almost time to leave, only about an hour left to go. He was still looking at the clock when a hard object (later discovered to be a book) made contact with his head. He turned to see Masamune Takano, his 'attacker'. "Onodera! Everybody is still working! Space out on your own time! "

"Whatever." Ritsu replied snarkily. A couple of editors stopped and glanced over at them in shock that someone had talked to Takano, the 'Demon Editor, like that. Takano narrowed his eyes. "Onodera—"

"I've got to go make copies." He said, grabbing his supplies and all but running out of there. _What the hell is wrong with me? I can't believe I did that!_ When he got back he tried to apologize. He walked up to Masamune's desk. "T-Takano-san?" Takano looked up, surprised. "What is it, Onodera?"

"I…I'm sorry."

"For?"

"My, um, outburst earlier. I—"

"Think nothing of it. Everybody is tired and a little cranky." He ruffled Ritsu's hair and before he left, he turned around and added, "Oi, the storyboard is in the meeting room still, could you go get it and take it to the main office?"

"Yeah, sure.."

Ritsu walked out of Marukawa completely exhausted. _That was one rough 'cycle. My Mangaka almost didn't make the deadline! I need to be more careful, but my head just hurt so much…. Bah! What am I saying! It's just from being tired! Everybody else is tired at the end of a 'cycle too! _He scolded himself briefly. _The news I got this morning sure didn't help either… I just had a hard time focusing today, but at least it got done!_ Stepping outside almost felt like stepping into another world. Compared to the pink fluff and stuffed animals, just about going anywhere away from Marukawa's Emerald Shoujo Manga Department was bound to feel like that. But today it was even more so. It was about 2:00 a.m. and storming pretty badly. The sky so black you couldn't even see the stars. And now fog was starting to form. On top of all that; he'd forgotten his umbrella.

"Shit! If I don't hurry up, I'm going to miss the last train!"

He began to run faster, the puddles made loud sloshing noises. He tried to ignore the rain stinging his eyes, and kept going. The lightning would every once and a while streak overhead and cause an eerie flash of light to occur, as well as making the street-lights flicker. The rain began to create a fog, and it became very hard to see. Even passing cars' lights were bleary. He hoped to find the 'station soon!

"Damn! I'm not going to make it!"

Regardless of his chances, he kept running. _The 'station! I can see it up ahead! _He breathed a sigh of relief and brushed his bangs that were plastered to his face out of his eyes.He made it just in time and sat down on the seat, only to jump when he heard, "Well, I guess you did make it after all, so I don't need to come after you in my car again, not that I minded…" Takano teased. Noticing that Ritsu had forgotten his umbrella, he added, "Onodera, I don't know how you're going to make it in Emerald if you can't even remember your umbrella! A good editor never forgets—"

"Shut up." Both were stunned at what he just said. Ritsu's mind went blank when he tried to think of an excuse and an apology. Takano didn't look amused, this wasn't like the usual cute I'm-embarrassed-so-just-shut up that came with an adorable blush. This was serious.

"Oi, Onodera, is something wrong?"

"N-no, I just, I'm just tired. Sorry." That was such an obvious lie. He could see it in Ritsu's eyes, his deep, rich, emerald-colored eyes. They looked troubled, and weary. He didn't want to push it. _Maybe he was just under a lot of stress… _He thought. So he continued to tease him.

"You know, maybe it wouldn't have been so bad if you wouldn't have made it, I could've come pick you up…all you would have had to do was call me…" He trailed off.

"I wouldn't have. Hasegawa-san offered to drive me home, but—" He cut himself off to late. He knew how Takano didn't like Hasegawa-san at all. He glanced up to see that Takano's gaze had hardened.

"I—" _**BEEP-BEEP! **_ Takano glared at Ritsu as he took out his phone. He looked at the message and choked up a little. Alarmed, Takano reached out and grabbed Ritsu's shoulder.

"Onodera? What's wrong?"

"I… It is nothing. I just had a tickle in my throat…" But Takano could see that he was holding back tears. They exited the train and walked the short distance to the apartment complex in which they both lived. In the elevator Takano decided that he'd had enough of Ritsu's strained lies and silence.

"What's wrong?" before he could protest, Takano went added "And don't give me any bullshit about how you're '_fine_' either!" he hissed. Before Takano had said anything Ritsu had been staring at the boring pale yellow walls of the elevator and debating on whether to say it or not. Going back and forth between ' _I can handle this on my own'_ and _'Maybe I should tell Takano…_' Ritsu hung his head in defeat and sighed.

"I got a phone call this morning…."

"And?"

"It…was An-chan…" He paused, seeing the brief look of alarm flash across Takano's face. It vanished so quickly that he thought he'd just imagined it.

"Go on."

"She…was upset. Hysterical is more like it. At first I thought it could have been my mother again, but she calmed down a little bit, just barely co-coherent…" He was fighting not to cry. "I…She said… My cousin died." He finally choked out. Takano looked at him with eyes filled with pity. "Were you guys close?"

"I….yeah, yeah we were."

It was the first time Ritsu had admitted to himself what had happened that day; he had just had to shut off his mind for the work day. He knew how he must look and it pissed him off. He did _not_ want to look or feel so weak. He couldn't even let himself cry yet. This was the longest elevator ride of his life.

When the doors finally slid open, he all but ran into the empty hallway. Nobody was up at this hour; they tended to get back around 2 A.M. at the end of a 'cycle. He was about to open his apartment door when Takano said his name.

"Ritsu."

He turned around to see that he was right behind him. _How the hell does he do that?_ Takano wrapped his arms around Ritsu, in a way that Ritsu would never admit made him feel a little bit better.

"I'm sorry." He whispered in Ritsu's ear. Ritsu broke out of his grasp and opened the door. He didn't close it fast enough though. In a heartbeat Takano was inside too. He turned around; ready to shout at Takano to get the hell out, but instead Takano kissed him. It wasn't like the usual one, which led to _other things_; this one was sweet, but also a little bit urgent. He suspected the urgency had to do with him mentioning Hasegawa-san and An-chan in the same hour. Without realizing it, he began to kiss back(as usual). When he pulled back, they were both panting. "I have to go plan out my author's next storyboard…." He handed Ritsu a key. "What is this for?" He asked, confused. Takano gave and exasperated sigh. "It's a key to my apartment, baka. This way, you can call or come over if you feel _lonely_. And, don't bother coming to work tomorrow. I'm going to message Isaka-san for you. He's pretty lenient on things like this. You'll probably get around two weeks off. Don't worry; I will split up your authors to the others. They won't mind." Ritsu was stunned. Masamune Takano, Dictator of Emerald/The Demon Editor, was telling him it was okay to skip work for two weeks? He must be dreaming!

"Th-thanks." He managed to stammer after a moment. There it was. The blush Takano had been waiting for! He reached over a ruffled Ritsu's hair. Then he cupped his face and pulled him forward a little bit. He kissed Ritsu's forehead gently and then let go. "Feel free to call or come over if you need anything." After a moment, he couldn't resist adding, "You know, if you lived with me, you wouldn't have to ever feel like that. And there wouldn't be a need to call me, seeing how I would already be there…" Without another word he walked out the door.

Takano walked to his own apartment, right next door. He walked in and sighed happily. RItsu had let him kiss him, and even kissed back! He didn't know if it was just from the shock of the grief or what, but he wasn't going to question it. He was happy. He did feel a bit sad though, because he knew what it was like to lose someone close to you. He decided to call Isaka-san now, before he got too wrapped up in work. He answered on the third ring.

"Hello? Isaka-san here!"

"I need a favor."

"I'm fine, thanks for asking! How are you? Geez, Takano, you just go straight to the point don't you?"

"I need a favor."

"What _kind_ of 'favor'?"

"I need you to give Onodera two weeks off."

Isaka scoffed. "Look, I know you're soft on the kid, but—"

"-A family member of his just died."

-Silence. Then, "Alright. I'll make the arrangements. Give him my regards."

He hung up the phone and went to call his author.

Ritsu, still recovering from the shock, slid down the door he had leaned against down to the floor.

"Well, that sure was…. _interesting._" Said a voice from the living room.


	2. Surprise revealed and jealousy

**~Kyaaaa~~~ Thank you for the nice reviews! Now it's time for chapter two! I believe that this will be finished before Wednesday, but I am not sure yet, I have a lot of schoolwork to do too! And my sister is getting married Thursday! So I will be kinda busy this week, but don't worry! I won't abandon you! **

**Warning! This chapter is kina long! I had to do Ishi-kun's intro! And it is a little sad too!**

**Disclaimer: Yeah, keep rubbing it in! I know I don't own this! Only this story is mine, and the character named Ishikaru Nanami! **

Ritsu gasped and looked up in surprise.

"Ishikaru-kun?"

"Who else could it be? And don't look so surprised, didn't I tell you I was coming over?"

Ritsu thought for a moment and realized he was right. Ishikaru had left him a message right after An-chan had called. But that did not explain what he was doing in his apartment! He narrowed his eyes. "How did you even get in here?" Ishikaru smirked, much toRitsu's annoyance.

"I asked the landlady for a key."

"What the hell? Are you kidding me!"

"Oh calm down. You always overreact! Besides, we do kind of look similar."

"Yeah, but still….And I do not overreact!"

"Relax cousin, and yes, we do. Look at me, then look at you."

_Damn, it is true._ They did look kind of similar. Both had brown hair, but Ishikaru's was darker. His hair was also a little longer than Ritsu's. Ishikaru's eyes were green too, but they had a little brown in the middles. He was also taller, but only by a few inches. That didn't stop him from calling Ritsu 'shortie'. The only other difference was Ritsu had more of a cute baby-face, and Ishikaru had a slightly older look. He also had a scar. It was a white/pink color and it went from the bottom of his left ear to his chin.

They were cousins, though technically not really related. Ishikaru is the son of his father's brother's second wife. But they had been friends long before that marriage. Now his uncle had divorced Ishikaru's mother. In highschool, Ishikaru had known about Takano, er, Saga-sempai. Ritsu hadn't meant to tell him, but Ishikaru could tell something was off. _Did he notice Takano? Did he recognize him? _Ritsu could by his expression that he did.

"I guess you saw that, huh?"

"Yes."

"That wasn't—I mean, that is to say—"

"Ri-chan? Don't get so flustered. I have one question. Well, two actually. Number one, was that the same guy from highschool? Saga-san?"

Ritsu nodded, blushing. "His last name is 'Takano' now."

"Mm. Thought so. Have you two been, um,_ seeing _each other since highschool, Like still to this day? I mean that would explain the reason you dumped An-chan…."

Ritsu winced when he said "dumped". It sounded a bit harsh. He had to think carefully about his answer. _We broke up in highschool, but now…WHAT THE HELL AM I THINKING? I DO NOT love him!_

"N-no. The breaking off of the engagement was a mutual thing. We both agreed it was for the best." Well, they had agreed, but it was because Takano—_No, no, no! It was because I wasn't in love with her at all. It had nothing to do with stupid Takano-san! _

"Ah. I see. But, you did not answer my question correctly. **Are you still seeing him?**"

"N-no…. He is just my boss, and my neighbor." He added as an after-thought. Ishikaru raised an eyebrow.

"Are you _sure? _That kiss didn't look like a friendly neighbor thing. Nor did it look like a transaction between employer and employee…" He paused for a moment, studying Ritsu's blushing face.

"Do you love him?"

Ritsu gave up. He knew Ishikaru wouldn't stop with these questions until he got the answer he wanted.

"I…I don't know…" He stammered. He glanced up, trying to get a read on Ishikaru's expression. He looked thoughtful.

"Ah, well I suppose that's all I'll get out of you right now. Anyways, you should make us some dinner."

Ritsu opened his mouth then shut it again. He had no idea what to say. Ishakaru had never given up so quickly before. He let it go, knowing if he asked why, the answer would be "Do you want to keep talking about it?" And he really didn't. Then another thought occurred to him.

"Wait, you can't just come into people's apartments like that! I—oh forget it! What do you want for dinner?" He gave an exasperated sigh and Ishikaru just shrugged. So Ritsu went to work on dinner and Ishikaru went to sit on the couch to watch TV. Ritsu's mind was spinning.

_Why is he here? Why doesn't he seem sad? Nonagaru and him were like brothers…I'm sure he misses him, I Miss him too._ _It's only been a day… _ He just shook his head and continued to chop the vegetables. He was making vegetable-beef stew; it sure was cold enough for it! He thought for a while, mostly dwelling on the same things, until another thought occurred to him.

_My cousin died, and we were so close weren't we? Then why doesn't this affect my daily life? If we were such good friends then why… _

Ishikaru heard a sobbing noise and shrugged, thinking it was the TV, but he realized it was coming from the kitchen. _Finally, Ritsu really needs this. _

"Ri-chan? Are you alright?"

"I…I c-can't…why? Why is he gone? Why…why aren't y-you sad or mad or…just why?"

Ishikaru's chest clenched. He took a deep breath.

"I have no more tears to shed. He was sick for a very long time. We already said our goodbyes. You didn't. I noticed every time you came to visit, you avoided saying "goodbye". You always said, 'See you again' or 'Take care!' I cried for so long. But he told me not to. He was happy. He said he could go see his grandmother again. He said, and I quote, 'Do not cry for me anymore. I'm happy! I don't like being sick. I love you guys so much, make sure you tell Ri-chan the same!' You never cried. So now you can." He stepped forward, and grabbed Ritsu in a bear-hug. Ishikaru reached over and turned off the stove, the stew was done anyways. They stayed in the kitchen for a little bit, then Ishikaru practically carried Ritsu to the living room couch. After a few moments he said, "You know Ri-chan, Your parents worry about you. I think you are doing great, and if you want I could tell them the same…?" He received no answer. Alarmed, he turned to see that Ritsu had fallen asleep. He was so damn cute! He looked like a little kid! His hair fell around his face like a halo, and his mouth fell open in an 'O' shape. His cheeks were still a little rosy from crying. Then Ishikaru noticed the dark circles under his eyes. _Of course! Why didn't I notice before? He's an editor! And it's almost 3:30 A.M… Damn, I really should move him to the bed… _

**CLICK!** His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of the front door opening.

"Oi! Onodera! I accidentally grabbed your story board too, do you want—" Takano froze at the scene that was laid out before him. He narrowed his eyes. Ritsu was asleep, and looked very cute. Problem? He was on someone else's lap! _That should be me. Ritsu is Mine. I. Don't. Share. _His face gave nothing away. Or so he thought. Ishikaru could see the man. What was his name again? Oh yeah. Takano Masamune. He had fire in his eyes. And he was glaring at Ishikaru. Ishikaru decided to have a bit of fun. Before Takano could say anything, he cut him off.

"Can I help you?" He reached over and began to stroke Ritsu's hair. Takano gritted his teeth.

"Yes. I need to speak with Onodera. Could you please wake him up?" Ishikaru could tell it wasn't a question. As an aspiring author he read 'between the lines'. (What he really meant was, 'Wake him the fuck up, stop touching him; he's mine, so get the hell away from him!') He really wasn't that far off.

"No, I don't think I will." Uh-oh.

"And why is that?" Takano strained to keep his voice polite. Ishikaru smirked.

"Because I'm comfortable." Seeing the black haired male's reaction, (and fearing for his life) he added quickly, "I mean… He was really tired! I thought he was going to pass out! Poor Ri-chan, he works so hard. And he was really upset about the news he got this morning. So me, being the good-natured man I am, came to comfort my friend when he was in need." He forced a smile. _Damn, if he glared any harder I think he'd make me burst into flames!_

"You can leave those papers here. He will look at them when he wakes up."

Takano narrowed his eyes.

"Where are you staying?"

"Why, _here_ of course!" He replied, smirking. _This is fun!_

"Oh? Onodera doesn't have a guest bedroom…" (What he really meant was, 'Get the fuck out, now! There is no way in hell I will let you sleep in the same room, let alone bed, as Ritsu!')

"Oh? I think there's enough room in his bed for two…" _OH SHIT! TOO FAR!_

Takano took a step forward, for the first time the rest of his face, and not just his eyes, betrayed the anger he felt. Ishikaru flinched and sat up, which cause Ritsu to stir.

"Wha..? Ishikaru-kun? How long was I out?" Him calling this…this…UGH, Takano didn't know what to call the man, by such a familiar title was too much!

"_**Onodera, could I have a word with you, please?"**_ ('Get over here, now! You'd better have a damn good explanation for this!')

Oh shit….


	3. Confrontation and a Bombshell!

**~Kyaaa~~ I'm back! Sorry guys, I meant to finish this chapter yesterday, but then I got really sick. I'm okay now though! Thank you very much for the nice reviews! And, I said this would be a three-shot, but now I'm thinking at least 4 or 5! Sorry! I just get ideas in my head and start writing them down…(mostly during class…) Anyways here you go! By the way, like in the last chapter, if you see a sentence like "blah blah blah" that someone said, and it has another sentence (like this) after it, that is Ishikaru reading between the lines! And this chapter gets a bit hot!**

**Disclaimer: I do not own the manga/anime, but I do own this story and Ishi-kun! **

_Oh shit. He looks __**pissed!**_ Ritsu couldn't help but think as he walked over to Takano's apartment. Takano was being too quiet. After asking to 'have a word' with him, he told Ishikaru that he'd be back in a little bit. After he said that, Takano just lunged forward and grabbed his hand, the man was like lightning! Then he'd stormed out, still holding Ritsu's hand. Once they were inside Takano's apartment with the door shut, Ritsu snapped.

"What are you doing! That was—"

"I think _**I**_ should be asking _**you**_ that question!" Ritsu faltered for a moment. He didn't understand what was wrong at all!

"What do you mean? I just fell asleep in Ishikaru-kun's lap." Takano let out an angry sigh.

"That's just _**it**_! You well asleep in '_Ishikaru-kun's lap'_!" Takano mimicked his voice when he said his name. Takano knew he was acting childish, but he didn't care.

"Why are you being stupid? What did Ishikaru ever do to you?"

"He was_**touching what belongs to me**__."_ Takano said possessively. Ritsu STILL didn't get it!

"What do you mean?" He asked confused. Then he understood.

"Takano-san! I do **not** belong to you! You can't just treat people like objects! You need to apologize to Ishikaru at once! He is a very dear friend to me—" _**THUD!**_

Takano had somehow pinned him. (Again) _Seriously, how the hell does he always do that? _Ritsu had no time to contemplate that, for Takano's lips were upon him. He struggled for a second, but for _some_ reason his body began to feel weak. He let himself be kissed, and he even kissed back a little bit, though he would never admit it._ Why can't I move? Why does this always happen to me? Why do I feel this way when he kisses me? Why…why do I lo—WHAT THE HELL AM I DOING! _

Takano thought everything was going fine. He had to make Ritsu forget that stupid Ishikaru! And, well… he had planned on doing _this_ anyways. He loved pinning Ritsu. When they had begun to kiss he felt Ritsu's body respond to his immediately. _Good. Now __**I**__ am the only thing on his mind._ They continued to kiss for a moment, and Takano reached his hand up to undo the buttons on Ritsu's shirt while the other hand roamed his body, when all of a sudden, "S-stop! No m-more than this!" Takano's gaze hardened.

"Why the hell not?" He asked, narrowing his eyes.

"B-because I n-need to get back to—unh!—I said s-stop! I-ah—I gotta get back to Ishikaru!" He instantly regretted his words. Takano leaned forward and captured Ritsu's lips once again. When they broke apart, they were both panting.

"No." _What?_ Takano paused for a second and then continued. "I do not want you to go back to him,"_ Wow, he sounds like a jealous lover….DAMMIT! _"You are _mine._ I do not intend to share."

"Ah, no! Takano-san, you've got it all wrong! Ishikaru-san is only a friend!"

"Then why were you _in his lap?_" Takano's voice had a dangerous edge to it now.

"I just fell asleep!"

"Why was he _stroking your hair?"_

"He was just trying to comfort me!" Takano's face was a mixture of disgust and anger.

"So you'll let some other guy comfort you? When I already offered? Am I not good enough to comfort you? _Stroke your hair? Lay down with?"_ Now Takano was almost shouting. The look in his eyes was so intense Ritsu had to look away.

"_Ritsu."_ Takano whispered gently.

No response. Ritsu felt embarrassed. He couldn't look Takano in the eyes. He couldn't because….because he knew he'd fall for that face.

"_Ritsu." _He whispered again. This time Ritsu did look up. And when he did Takano leaned forward and placed a gentile kiss on his lips. The entire time they'd been arguing Takano knew he was being unfair. He couldn't blame Ritsu for this. Whou could help but want him? He was adorable! _But he is also __**mine**__._ He knew Ritsu would have to go back to his apartment anyways. He looked dead tired. He would never agree to spend the night with me. _At least not yet._ He mentally smirked at that. "If you go back there, you are **not** sharing a bed with him. I don't care how good of a _friend_ he is! You belong to me."

"Of course we aren't going to share a bed! What gave you that idea?" Takano mentally cursed Ishikaru. He didn't even have time to relish the fact Ritsu didn't say he didn't belong to him before he went on. "And even if we did, it's not like it would matter! We're both guys!"

"Pffft. Like that matters!" Takano shot back.

"Whatever. I'm going home now." He turned and opened the door to Takano's apartment, not noticing Takano followed him all the way to his own door. When he put the key and went to open it, Takano grabbed him and kissed him one for one last time. {for that morning anyways..} They broke apart right when the door opened. Ishikaru stood there, not looking amused. Takano smirked. Then suddenly Ishikaru smiled. It wasn't a nice smile either. But that face was gone when Ritsu turned around. He pulled Ritsu to him and hugged him. Takano looked livid!  
>"Oh cousin! I forgot to hug you earlier! I'm so glad I'll be <em>staying here for two whole days!" <em>

_What? _

Ritsu was about to pull away, but Ishikaru pulled him closer. Takano was about to say something but Ishikaru slammed the door. Ritsu just knew he'd have hell to pay for that later…

**Hey, it's me! I was wondering how well you liked my story so far? Please review. If I get enough requests, I will redo this chapter!**


	4. Oh no you didn't!

**~~Kyaaaa!~~~ It's me of course! I'm really sorry I didn't update until now, but I had a ton of things to do! I think you guys will like this chapter! And I had a few complaints from some people who felt cheated because I kind of hinted at a lemon and totally cock-blocked you! I'm soo sorry! I decided that I will either add it in the last chapter or a separate fic, that will happen in light of these events. Thank you for all the kind reviews! They made me smile! I love getting feedback, so please review! **

**Disclaimer: *sniff sniff* you really gotta make me say it? I don't own Sekaiichi Hatsukoi. **

**Remember, if you see "Blah Blah Blah" followed by (Blah Blah Blah) That is Ishikaru 'reading between the lines'!**

Takano walked back to his apartment. Well, _stormed_ is more like it. He was really pissed off. How dare that stupid 'Ishikaru' touch Ritsu, _**his**_ Ritsu! He had half a mind to go back there and kick his ass for doing that! But the other half argued that Ritsu didn't love Ishikaru, and even if the bastard stayed the night with him, it didn't necessarily mean they were going to sleep _together. _No matter how hard he tried to reassure himself, he still had the urge to go back and claim Ritsu, and he really wanted to tell Ishikaru off. He shook his head as he walked into his apartment and shed his clothes so he could shower. He was too impatient for it to warm, and he was still frustrated that he couldn't do anything about the nuisance next door. After he was done he noticed it was 4:52 A.M. He knew he needed to sleep, but he also knew it wouldn't come easy. He also knew that Ritsu had to go to the funeral tomorrow, er, later today. With Ishikaru…..

Ritsu had been really tired. He had to get up at around 8:00A.M. The funeral service ended at around 10. He decided to take a nap when they got home. "Wake me up at eleven, please." Ishikaru nodded and said he would…. Ritsu woke up around noon. He couldn't believe he had slept so late! He felt like he was being a bad host to Ishikaru, but after everything that happened, and that little episode with Takano, he felt like he deserved a break. He still felt bad about not cooking for his guest, so he went down to make lunch. He had just opened his door when the scent hit him. _Mmm, I haven't had French-toast in a very long time!_ In Japan people usually ate fish, rice, or other foods like that for breakfast. One of his favorite things about America and Australia, which are the only other two countries he had been to. _ How does he know how to cook it? Oh yeah, he studied abroad too, and he even visited me two or three times…_

"Oi, Ri-chan! Don't just stand there drooling. Come on out and eat brunch with me!"

"I-I was not drooling!" he stammered, but he obeyed anyways. He walked over to the table and sat down, Ishikaru grabbed the plates and sat down right across from him. He handed him the plate and syrup, and watched as Ritsu took a bite, then he said abruptly,

"Takano-san called." Ritsu nearly choked.

"What? Why?"

"He said something about since you had to go to the funeral, you need to come in today and file the paperwork." Relieved, Ritsu asked,

"Oh. What time did he say he wanted me to be there?" He asked, taking a drink of orange juice.

"About 12:15." Ritsu choked again.

"WHAT? WHY THE HELL DID YOU WAIT UNTIL NOW TO TELL ME?"

"You were really tired yesterday, so I decided to let you sleep." Ritsu groaned and looked at the clock. **12:07 P.M.** There was no possible way to make it! Sensing Ritsu's distress, Ishikaru told him,

"Don't worry about it. I told Takano-san that you were still sleeping. He knows you'll be late. So just finish eating and then I'll drive you over. Ritsu nodded, then a certain thought occurred to him.

"Oi, so how did you tell him? And how did he take it?" Ishikaru smiled.

"I just said politely that you were really tired and needed to sleep more. Takano seemed to understand that. Go get ready, I'll clean up."

Takano slammed the phone down. He could not believe the conversation he'd had about fifteen minutes earlier. He had Ritsu's cell phone called to let him know there was some paperwork he needed to file, and _**he**_ answered. It went like this:

_**Riiing Riiing Riiing Riii**_— finally the phone was picked up.

"Oi, Onodera, I need you to—"

"Ri-chan is still asleep, what do you want?" Takano couldn't believe it, Ritsu never sleeps this late!

"Why? Is he ill?" He asked worried. Ishikaru replied in a very silky, very smug voice.

"Oh no, nothing like _that. _He was just so _exhausted_ after _last night._ So I decided not to wake him up. He looks _adorable _when he sleeps, ne?" Takano was seeing red. He gritted his teeth. He made it sound like he and Ritsu had done something dirty! If he even tried to touch his Ritsu….

"Could you please _wake him up so I can talk to him?"_**(Wake him up, then stay the fuck away from him, if I find out you tried anything I WILL kill you.) **

"Hmmm. Nope. I don't think so."

"_Excuse me?"_ (What the fuck did you just say?)

"Okay, bye!"

"What—" **beeeeep.**

That bastard! He hung up! He was fighting to keep calm, but he knew he was losing this battle because every intern that walked by ran away. Even some of his everyday co-workers flinched when he looked their way. He really, really wanted to kick some ass right now, but this was the beginning of a 'cycle, so he had to make sure everything was in order. _I can kick his ass later. And if he really did try something, he's going to wish he was dead. _

Ritsu was just about ready to go. It was near 1:00 P.M. He felt really bad for not being there when Takano expected him to be. But there was no helping it.

"Ishikaru-kun, I'll be leaving now!"

"How are you going to get there?"

"By train of course. Why?

"No, let me drive you. It's the least I could do for you letting me stay the night with you. And the next train doesn't come 'til 1:25"

"Alright, if you're sure…"

They got in his car. The car ride was mostly silent, with the radio playing quietly in the background. The 5th song that played was one Ritsu recognized as "_Sleepless Beauty"_ by Nittle Grasper. By the time it ended they had arrived. He was reaching to open his door and just about fell out of it when Ishikaru opened it for him. Iskikaru chuckled.

"What are you doing?"

"Um, I'm coming with you, duh."

"But…_why?_ All I'm going to do is file some paperwork. It'll be boring." Ritsu warned. Ishikaru shrugged.

"Yeah, but it would be more boring if I just sat in the car." Ritsu sighed in defeat.

"Fine." They walked in together.

_You have got to be fucking kidding me! First I had to see him with Ritsu at home, and now at work too? _ Takano was pissed. On his way to talk to Yokozawa, he glanced down the hallway and saw Ritsu and Ishikaru. Ishikaru was standing way too close to Ritsu for Takano's liking. Mino went to ask him a question, but when Takano turned around Mino literally ran the other way. _I need to get better at controlling my facial expressions….It was never this bad before! Stupid Ishikaru…. _

"Awww, they look sooo cute together, ne?" He turned around to see a few editors from Sapphire behind him. He looked to where the blonde one was pointing and saw that it was Ritsu and Ishikaru. He was _**not **_amused.

"Ohh, I know! Onodera-kun is so cute with his boyish charm, and that guy with him seems a bit rugged, I mean look at that scar! His ruggedness also had a slight boyish look, too though. Their looks really complement each other!" Squealed the brunette.

"Guys, guys, what if… they actually…" The blonde and brunette leaned in when the red-head whispered, "_Kissed?"_ All three then squealed excitedly and watched the two for a moment longer, then had to get back to work.

"What's wrong Takano-san?" Takano jumped when he heard Kisa's voice behind him.

"What do you mean?" he hissed. He wasn't really mad at Kisa, it was Ishikaru he hated, but he couldn't keep the malice from lacing his voice.

"Ah, um, it's nothing. Hey who's that guy with Ri-chan?"

"Oh, that…that's his friend. He came up to take Ritsu to the funeral and is now staying with him for a few days. He should be gone by tomorrow. Onodera has another 12 days off though, for family things." He couldn't help but let a bit of smugness creep into his voice when he said Ishikaru would be leaving tomorrow.

"Ah, well those Sapphire girls were right, they do look good together. All this time whenever he had a personal call, I tease him for having a girlfriend, but maybe I should've said _boyfriend."_ Takano was caught off guard. He didn't expect Kisa to say _that._ It pissed him off that even Kisa thought they looked good together.

"Ah, well I gotta go now. See you in a bit, Takano-san." That's right, it was lunch break… He turned back around to see something that just made him snap.

Ritsu was almost done with the paperwork, it really wasn't hard. His mother planned to have a dinner/get together at her house in a couple of days. He didn't really want to go, what with An-chan's parents being there and all. He handed the office lady the papers back and glanced at Ishikaru, expecting to see a bored expression. Instead he saw Ishikaru looking at something {or _someone}_ over Ritsu's shoulder. He was about to ask what it was when Ishikaru suddenly leaned pulled him in and kissed him.

**~Kya~ I dunno if that was any good or not…. I hope so! Mwahahaha, I left another cliff-hanger! What will Takano do? Please Review, I need feedback since this is my first story!**


	5. A Fight and a Finale!

**~Kyaaaa~~~ It's meee! I'm not dead yet! REJOICE! THIS IS THE LAST CHAPTER! Though I may have a problem, my sister knows about my account! If she tells my mom about my story, I'm so screwed! My mom can't really do all that much about it, but I hate lectures! She said she wouldn't tell but it's weird because I know she can read my stories. And she saw my note about a possible lemon so I had to explain what that was (DX). Just kill me now! She kinda likes Yaoi too, but still….It's awkward to know she could read it. Just pray for me, my loyal fans! **

**Dedicated to all of my fans for giving me the drive to finish my first story and publish it! A special thanks to **cigarettesandlatte **for her support! I**** couldn't have done it without her! **

**Hey guys, I'm sorry that the last chapter sucked. I had a few more ideas for it, but I said this was going to be a 5-shot. Those would have made it like 10 chapters. If you were confused on the time schedule (sorry I put no detail into the funeral, I really meant to) it was that Ritsu had gone to bed at like 3 AM and He had to get up at 8 AM for the funeral, so he was really tired after it, and THAT is when he took the nap. Then he had to go in and file that he was taking a leave for family-related reasons. **

**The lemon is in this chapter, I will have a warning(=~~~=). Please be nice, it is my first!**

**Disclaimer: Bastards. Again, I do not own Sekaiichi Hatsukoi. **

**I had to rush a bit cuz I have a field-trip, so let me know if it sucks!**

Ishikaru was on the ground in seconds. He didn't even see Takano come upon them, the man moved like a man possessed. He didn't even feel the impact of Takano's fist when it hit, but his nose was bleeding like crazy and boy could he feel it now! He could tell it wasn't broken; Takano's fist hit mostly under his right eye. Ritsu was in complete shock. He couldn't believe Ishikaru had kissed him! And Takano punched him! He stared wide-eyed at the scene. Ishikaru's nose was spurting blood everywhere, and Takano looked…pretty fucking scary. His face was contorted in rage, his eyes had dark fire in them, and his fist was raised as if he was going to punch him again. Everybody in the lobby was staring. Even Hatori, who usually looked so composed, was in shock. _Uh-oh._ Ritsu snapped out of it and lunged forward to grab Takano's arm before he could strike again.

"Takano-san! Stop it!" He plead. Takano looked at him and Ritsu flinched at his expression. Not wanting Ritsu to fear him, he tried to calm down. But Ishikaru made a smug face, and that was enough to send Hatori and another editor—whose name he didn't know, had to hold Takano back. Isaka emerged from the hallway, wondering why all work had seemed to freeze. He took one look at the scene and said only loud enough for them o hear,

"Take them out of here. Takano, you come back in a few minutes. As for you two, Onodera, you are on leave now, so you go home. You, I don't know why you're here, but you need to leave, _now."_He paused for a second, then he said loudly, "Everybody back to work. There is nothing to see here!" Everybody went back to work, and the three went to the parking lot, Ishikaru was _still_ bleeding. He looked like he hardly even noticed. His eye wouldn't be black for a few hours yet, so for now it was only red and a little swollen. Nobody said anything for a few moments, and Takano was still holding Ritsu's hand from when he pulled him away from Ishikaru to punch him. Ritsu tried half-heartedly to pull his hand out of Takano's grasp, and when Ishikaru noticed, Takano tightened his grip. Finally after he gave up, Ritsu asked,

"Why did you do that?"

"_**Why?**_ Because _he was kissing_ you. You belong to _me, and me alone._" Takano declared, glaring at Ishikaru as if he was daring him to argue and claim Ritsu for himself. To his surprise, he didn't. Instead asked Ritsu,

"Is it because you love him?" Ritsu couldn't look either one in the eyes. He had been denying this for so long. _No, I can't love him… we're both guys! In highschool it was… I… I give up…. _

"…..yes." Ritsu whispered. He looked up fearfully at them. Takano's jaw dropped and his eyes widened. He had been waiting for so long for Ritsu to admit his feelings. He had been thinking about what he would say when he did, but his mind was blank. He was actually speechless. _Him_ of all people was speechless!

"R—Ritsu? Do you really mean—"

"I said yes, god dammit!" His face was bright red, and he couldn't look Takano in the face. Ritsu felt so embarrassed! And he was cautious of what Ishikaru might say.

"I'll see you at that dinner your mother planned for Thursday." And he turned to walk away. _What. The. Hell!_ Takano and Ritsu were both thinking that. Takano because he expected Ishikaru to try and take Ritsu, and Ritsu because he had never seen Ishikaru give up a fight that easily. No matter what it was for, something that was worth it, or just for the sake of fighting, he always stood his ground. Then Takano said abruptly,

"I have to go back to work now." _What?_ That was like a slap in the face! He was always trying to make him confess and now that he finally had, the man just walks away? _Maybe this all really was a game to Takano-san… _He felt something warm drop onto his pant leg. _Huh?_ Then he realized it was a tear. His tear. He was crying. He had to leave, like _now._ He couldn't let Takano see him cry!

"I have to go too. I, um, bye!" He ran like hell towards the station.

"_I have to go back to work now."? Real nice, Takano, he probably thought you didn't want to be near him! _He scolded himself mentally. And….was that a tear? _God dammit, I made him cry!_ He never wanted to see Ritsu, his beloved Ritsu, cry. No matter who it was, he had vowed to kick their ass. And now _he_ was the one who did it. _Or was it because he really does want to be with Ishikaru, and he only said he loved me because he was afraid of what I would have done?_ He hated feeling so angsty! What he really wanted to do was run after Ritsu and kiss his tears away. To tell him he loved him too, and the only reason he'd said that was because he was in shock. On his way to see Isaka, he kept getting interrupted, so it took him awhile to get to the man's office. He to Isaka's office, finally, around 5:00 P.M. Isaka glanced up warily, he sighed when he saw who it was.

"I need the rest of the day off."

"You do realize that now you are robbing us of two of Emerald's editors, right?" Before he could reply Isaka went on, "I don't know, and I don't want to know what it is that you were doing, or why, but do what you need to do. I expect you to do some work from home and be here tomorrow." By that he knew Isaka was dismissing him. Then Isaka went to meet up with that Asahina-san guy. Takano went to the train station and got on the next train home. He missed the one Ritsu was on by 5 minutes. He willed the train to go faster, but it seemed agonizingly slow that day.

By the time he got home, he saw Ritsu opening his own apartment door. He had no idea why Ritsu had only _just _gotten back, but he wasn't going to look this gift horse in the mouth.

"Onodera!"

"_Onodera!"_ Ritsu winced when he heard his name called. He turned around to face Takano, he knew if he tried to go inside that Takano would somehow magically be inside and just pin him against something. He had already wiped away the tears, but he knew his eyes were still a little bit red and puffy. He had no clue what to say, so he just said dumbly,

"What?"

"What do you mean 'what'?"

"I meant, 'what' do you want?" He said defiantly. Takano sighed.

"I wanted to make myself clear—" Ritsu wished on second thought that he had gone into his apartment. He really didn't want to hear this! He wouldn't be able to take it when….when Takano admitted this had all been just a game to him. He clenched his eyes shut and said,

"I think I got it." Then he turned away and opened his door. As expected, Takano made it inside too. Ritsu expected him to say something, but instead, Takano kissed him. This kiss was full of emotion. He could feel the urgent need that Takano felt, the love, the lust, and the reassurance. It was almost enough to make him cave. Their tongues battled for dominance, a battle they both knew Takano would win, but kept at it anyways. Takano reached forward and grabbed Ritsu in a hug, not breaking the kiss. Then he leaned in more to deepen it. They were ravishing each other's mouths, and suddenly Ritsu realized something. _What the hell am I doing? I don't love him. Besides, this is ll a game to him….. It's not love….It's not love….__**It's not love**_…

"S-stop!" He finally managed after breaking the kiss. He pushed Takano back a little bit, (the only reason he went back when Ritsu did that was because he was so caught off guard) and went on, almost sobbing.

"W-why? Why are you doing this?...Why are you so hell-bent on getting me to confess, when I know you don't really feel the same? Why are you torturing me like this? Why…..why do I let you?..._Why do __**I love you?**_"

Takano stared, not knowing what to say. Ritsu was crying again, and it was all his fault. He wanted to make the tears stop. He wanted to say he loved Ritsu too, but his mind was still reeling from the fact Ritsu had actually said 'I love you' to him. He hadn't said that to him, ever. Well, once in highschool, but that doesn't count. He had said something similar earlier too, but hearing the actual words was so…so…relieving. He heard Ritsu take a deep, shuddering breath and realized Ritsu was taking his silence for a rejection. He felt Ritsu start to pull away. _No!_

"Ritsu, I do! I do love you! I don't understand why you didn't get it until now, but I love you! I have for the past ten years and eleven months! And I will continue to do so until the day I die, no, wait, I will still love you then. But I need _you_ to _Let Me be The One. _The One to_ comfort you. _The One to hold you. The One you love."

Velvet brown eyes met shimmering emerald ones and held for a moment, then both closed in pure bliss as their lips met. They both knew no more words were needed.

**(=~~~=)Lemon**

Takano carried him to the bed where he laid Ritsu down gently, and Takano caressed his face. They broke the kiss to begin to strip, but each only got to the shirt before their lips met again, in a fiery passion the two ravished and explored each other's mouths, but they couldn't get enough. It would never be enough to just kiss. As the kiss deepened, Takano's hand began to roam, caressing lightly around Ritsu's nipples and going down a little lower each time they circled around. Ritsu moaned into the kiss, Takano had always known where to touch him to get the reaction he, well, they _both_ wanted.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, Takano's hand reached the growing bulge in Ritsu's pants. When he looked into Takano's eyes, they glinted mischievously as if to say, 'ah-ah-ah, not yet! I'm not done with you yet!' He leaned forward and trailed his tongue up Ritsu's stomach and stopped again at Ritsu's sensitive nipples. He then lightly nipped and sucked at the right one while he fingered the left, then he switched. He smiled at the shudders of pleasure he was causing his lover. Ritsu however, was _not _so amused. He was very impatient. He was about to voice this but his words died in his throat as he felt Takano slide off his pants and his hot breath so close to his cock. He gasped when Takano began to suck, taking him so deeply into his warm, moist mouth.

"Unh! Takano-oh! Ungh! S-stop it! I-I'm going to ah!"He came into Takano's welcoming mouth. He swallowed most of it and rubbed a little on his fingers and then he stood up. He kissed Ritsu with everything he had. He wanted to make him forget his 'this was all a game' theory, he wanted to make him forget Ishikaru, but mostly he wanted to claim him. He was _his._

Still kissing him he reached behind him and put one finger in. Ritsu gasped a little, but that was from more of a surprised than pained feeling. That first finger was joined by a second, and then a third, making scissoring motions. Takano kept it up until he felt Ritsu was ready.

"Turn around." He commanded when they broke the kiss, panting. He hadn't realized his voice was so husky. He expected Ritsu to protest a little, but was pleasantly surprised when he obeyed. Takano's cock was already wet with precum, and with the preparations he had done, he figured that was enough. It was. They both moaned at the first thrust. Takano wanted to go fast, but he knew if he went too fast at first that it would only be more painful for Ritsu. He had to pace himself, he wanted them both to enjoy it. He began slow, and he was gradually getting faster, but it wasn't enough for Ritsu. He began to meet Takano hallway on each thrust in a silent plea to go faster. Takano happily obliged until,

"Ungh! Takano-san! I-ah!" He came, and after a few thrusts,

"_Ritsu_….you….are…." He paused, unable to talk as he gave his final hard thrust, "_**Mine**_**."** And he came deep within him. Takano let out a shaky breath as he pulled out. Then he layed down beside Ritsu and pulled him close.

**~~~end of lemon **

They only laid there for a few moments until Takano reluctantly had to get up. He knew Ritsu would get mad at him for leaving a mess. When he was about to get out of bed, Ritsu grabbed his wrist.

"Where are you going?"

"I was going to clean up—"

"No, just stay with me until morning." Surprised, he obeyed, once again wrapping his arms around the man he loved.

-&&&- epilogue

Across town a man sat smoking under a tree in a park. He looked around and brushed his dark brown hair out of his face, revealing his bright green-tinged-with-brown eyes, and his scar. He sighed when he didn't see what he was looking for.

"Ishikaru-san." He jumped at the voice. Said voice chuckled.

"Wow. You really do resemble Ri-chan! You're both jumpy!"

"Shut up, Kisa." Ishikaru growled.

"Relax! There's no need to be so tense! Everything worked out! They _are_ together now, aren't they? Man, I don't know how I didn't see it before! They fit really well together, too…" He trailed off.

"Yes, yes. You even helped it along. My idea worked perfectly! And I was only tense because I thought you might be Takano, coming to finish the job." He said defiantly, pointing to his now-black eye.

"Yeah right! It was _my_ acting that got Takano all riled up!" He paused for a second, then added, "Well I actually think it was those Sapphire girls that did it." He admitted. "How did you convince them to do that?" Ishikaru shrugged.

"It wasn't all that hard, they said they _really_ wanted to see Takano with Ritsu, and once I told them that I knew they loved each other…. They just kind of, well first there was a lot of squealing, then—"

"I think I get it. But… why did you do it? I mean, you seemed really into Ri-chan…"

"I did have kind of a crush on him back when we were finishing highschool. That was right after my mother divorced his uncle. We were both studying abroad…. Anyways, I could see the way he looked at Takano and I'm not stupid. I know he'll be happier with him."

"Oh. If I were you, I don't know that I would be able to let him go like that…" Ishikaru stood up.

"Let him go? Pfft. Not yet. I still need to know that Takano deserves him!" He declared walking away.

"Wait, what do you mean?" Kisa didn't get an answer. He was about to go after him and ask what he had meant by that, but Yukina called him.

Ishakaru had one more thing he had to do.

"You WHAT?" Ritsu sputtered. Takano looked really, really pissed.

"Well, you really inspired me, Ri-chan! You followd your dream, and now I want to follow mine! I'm going to be a shoujo mangaka! And, Isaka said you could be my editor! Isn't that great?" He hugged Ritsu.

"Yeah…_great."_ They could both feel the waves of animosity coming off Takano now. Ishikaru just kept smiling like he didn't, but Ritsu was afraid he'd have to stop Takano from killing Ishikaru. Ritsu sighed. _One problem down, millions to go…. _

_**PLEASE REVIEW! This was the first story I have ever published, so I would like some feed backplease! And how was my lemon? I hope you liked my story! Thanks for reading!**_


End file.
